Insults

Posted on March 23rd, 2013

British people often consider the French to be masters in rudeness. But the British are quite adept at trading insults too. This British-made chamber pot with a bust of Napoleon dates from 1805. It can be viewed in the Royal Pavilion Museum at Brighton.

Napoleon chamberpot 1805

A sample of French insults was published recently by web-based news site The Local:

“Bête comme ses pieds” – A literal translation would be “As stupid as his feet”, or “Thick as a plank”. The French version appeared in the early 19thC and seems to symbolise feet being furthest from the brain.